Shoppers urged to buy ethically this Christmas

The surge of ethical shopping in the UK has seen two organisations launch guides to help shoppers have a more socially conscious Christmas.

According to the not-for-profit advice website Ethical Consumer, shopping ethically in the UK surged to a market value of £81.3bn last year, a growth of £40bn since 2008, with the younger generation leading the trend. The report also revealed that 42% of Brits chose to shop locally in 2017 spending an estimated total of £2.7 billion.

Over the coming weeks, The Rooftop will be covering a range of ethical options for feel good Christmas spending. To launch the series are Christmas Gift Guides from membership body Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) and Ethical Consumer.

SEUK’s Christmas Gift Guide aims to encourage more shoppers to buy from UK social enterprises this festive season. The guide features a range of present suggestions which can be purchased from social enterprises – businesses that have a social or environmental mission at their heart.

Fiona Young, Head of Media and Communications at Social Enterprise UK said:

We’re encouraging all shoppers to ditch the pointless presents this Christmas and buy presents with purpose instead. Our Social Enterprise Christmas Gift Guide features some wonderful products for family and friends, each one from a social enterprise set up to make a positive difference to the world we live in.

From ethical fashion manufactured by women’s groups in London and coffee creating sustainable jobs for the homeless to luxury eco-friendly soap made by blind or otherwise disabled workers – when you buy from a social enterprise you are using your spending power to change lives this Christmas.

Ethical Consumer’s Gift Guide provides information on everything from where to shop ethically on the high street to picking individual products from the organisation’s Best Buy Label companies. It also includes an Alternatives to Amazon guide for those who choose to boycott the online giant.